nice! I've always loved the ballasts with the engraved information rather than a label, which can discolor, fall off, or get damaged. With an engraving, it' good unless the ballast leaks tar and even then if it's cleaned up it'll still be readable.

I think I only have chokes with stamped information on it, all my potted ballasts use a label.

same here. even my GE choke from HD has a sticker on it lol.

i like engraved ballasts too. I saw one at the habitat store a TS ballast for 14-20 went back but somebody had bought it What causes it to leak tar and how do you prevent? this one has a nice sound to it as well.

the tar leaks out from the ballast overheating. The tar is normally solid then when the ballast runs hot the tar softens and then it eventually becomes hot enough to liquify sorta like hot fudge. When 34W lamps are used on full-power 40W T12 ballasts, especially preheat, the ballast runs hotter because when the wattage goes down, the current goes up and makes the ballast work harder. The best way to prevent ballast tar from leaking is to replace lamps and starters ASAP when they fail or show signs of failing and not to use energy saving lamps on full-power ballasts. My rule of thumb is when in doubt, do use the energy saving lamps. you said this one runs hot, but since it lists 30w lamps i don't see why one can't be used on it. Plus if it's a 30W fixture then it's safe to say it won't oveheat the ballast.

IMO they should have used expoy or some other resin that won't liquify but i guess tar was/is cheaper than epoxy? once tar has leaked out the ballast won't cool as evenly and may overheat to the point of shorting out (the tar is so heat is distributed more evenly, especially for the capacitor's sake, but i don't think this balalst has a cap since it's NPF). If a ballast has leaked tar i personally wouldn't use it but as long as you monitor how hot it gets over let's say a two-three hour period when initially testing it you should be fine.

If a HPF ballast made before 1980 leaks tar you risk contacting PCBs (very toxic chemicals used inside the capacitors) so if a HPF ballast has leaked i would't keep it around unless it was VERY rare and at that i'd hold it only with rubber gloves and use it for display only since PCBs can soak though the body's skin and do some pretty awful things to you! It's hazardeous waste (well so is mercury but they doesn't stop us collectors!) so just be careful if you come accross a leaked ballast. If the tar is hardened then there's no dangerous amounts of PCBs but if the tar is gooey and/or has yellowish whiteish clear residue then there's PCBs and the ballast needs to be brought to a hazardeous waste drop-off place.

hope this info helps! i really don't think there's to big a risk of this one leaking and if it does you don't have to worry about PCBs so it wouldn't be all that bad. I suppose any ballast besides preheat chokes run the risk of leaking tar...

Too add on to what Mike said, if you have vintage ballasts it might be advisable to fuse them at 0.20A or so above the current on the ballast label. Regular 1/4" glass fuses and holders (from Radio Shack, eBay, online) work fine since those are usually rated for 250v.

Older ballasts have thermal protectors that might not work or no thermal protection at all so a fuse is necessary on those to prevent faults. When a ballast overheats, the current drawn might increase and blow the fuse.

Some older ballasts and rare ballasts have epoxy fill instead of tar and I don't think those will leak even if overheated.

hey joe I can't seem to find fuses for my ballasts. has anyone on here or does anyone know anyone who has had one of their magnetic ballasts fail badly? what are the odds?

Yeah, they're a bit hard to find if you don't have a electronic parts place in your neighbourhood. I guess you'll have to order them online from Digi-Key, or Newark Electronics.